Cognitive: Students will understand that each of us has our own unique talent(s). They will learn that all talents are not discovered immediately; sometimes you have to try new things to uncover your “gift.” Affective: The students will be more appreciative of others’ gifts, because we are all different in our abilities, yet all are valuable. The students will have a better appreciation of themselves and their peers when they truly understand that “all” gifts are necessary. Behavioral: Students will define compassion. They will describe a time when they showed compassion. They will role-play compassionate reactions to given scenarios. Students will describe things they are good at and what they think are their special “gifts.”
Ask for a student volunteer to recount the story of “The Gift.” Ask students what George’s “gift” is. Affirm that it is compassion. Ask students to point out places in the text that show George is compassionate. Ask: “Would every teenage boy be as compassionate as George is? Would every person not mind when the children jiggled his healing collarbone? Would every person be so caring as to want to go to the home to be with the children?” Affirm that even though he wants his gift to be sports, like his brother Mark, George’s gift is a heart of compassion.
Ask students how many of them have siblings. Ask them to think about their siblings and if their siblings are better at something than they are (e.g., sports, school, dance, drama, music, etc.) Then ask if there is something that they are better at than their siblings.
Divide the students into small discussion groups and ask them to share the following information about themselves with one another (each person gets a turn to speak in the group).
Name two or three things that they are good at doing
Tell about any volunteer work they have done (e.g., in a church, hospital, etcetera)
If they volunteered in the past, how it made them feel
Next, tell the groups to come up with a definition of compassion. Each group will then share with the class, through an appointed spokesperson, their definition of compassion.
With students still in their groups, ask each group to choose one of the scenarios in their student books under the Exercise: “Developing Compassion” and to prepare a role-play of that situation to present to the class.
Class Session 2
Materials needed: Posters, photos, or pictures (from magazines and newspapers) of people with different emotions on their faces
Ask the students to think about George in the story “The Gift.” For review, ask them to do the Questions for Reflection.
Ask students to reflect back on the story “The Gift.” Ask them how they think George initially felt when it was suggested that he volunteer at the hospital instead of coming to physical education for the next six weeks. How do they think George felt after his first day at the Home for Handicapped Children? What did he “uncover” after working at the Home for Handicapped Children?
Mention to students that it is often a good idea to try to be grateful for all circumstances. Often, we can learn a lot from them. Mention that, for instance, George might have felt inferior to his brother, Mark, and not want to sit out the six weeks of physical education on the bench, but if his accident had never happened, he might never have discovered his great gift of compassion.
Ask students to try to remember a time in their lives when a situation that they thought was really bad at first turned out to be good, and they ended up grateful for it.
Then ask them to reflect on a time in their lives when they showed compassion. Ask them to do the Reflection Exercise: “When I Showed Compassion.”
Using posters, photos, or pictures (from magazines and newspapers), look at the faces of people and discuss or write about what each person might be feeling. Begin with descriptive words (e.g., worried, excited, confused) and then expand on the possible reason for this feeling and what might be done to help a person who is showing distress.
Lesson Objectives
Cognitive: Students will understand that each of us has our own unique talent(s). They will learn that all talents are not discovered immediately; sometimes you have to try new things to uncover your “gift.”
Affective: The students will be more appreciative of others’ gifts, because we are all different in our abilities, yet all are valuable. The students will have a better appreciation of themselves and their peers when they truly understand that “all” gifts are necessary.
Behavioral: Students will define compassion. They will describe a time when they showed compassion. They will role-play compassionate reactions to given scenarios. Students will describe things they are good at and what they think are their special “gifts.”
Ask for a student volunteer to recount the story of “The Gift.” Ask students what George’s “gift” is. Affirm that it is compassion. Ask students to point out places in the text that show George is compassionate. Ask: “Would every teenage boy be as compassionate as George is? Would every person not mind when the children jiggled his healing collarbone? Would every person be so caring as to want to go to the home to be with the children?” Affirm that even though he wants his gift to be sports, like his brother Mark, George’s gift is a heart of compassion.
Ask students how many of them have siblings. Ask them to think about their siblings and if their siblings are better at something than they are (e.g., sports, school, dance, drama, music, etc.) Then ask if there is something that they are better at than their siblings.
Divide the students into small discussion groups and ask them to share the following information about themselves with one another (each person gets a turn to speak in the group).
Next, tell the groups to come up with a definition of compassion. Each group will then share with the class, through an appointed spokesperson, their definition of compassion.
With students still in their groups, ask each group to choose one of the scenarios in their student books under the Exercise: “Developing Compassion” and to prepare a role-play of that situation to present to the class.
Class Session 2
Materials needed: Posters, photos, or pictures (from magazines and newspapers) of people with different emotions on their faces
Ask the students to think about George in the story “The Gift.” For review, ask them to do the Questions for Reflection.
Ask students to reflect back on the story “The Gift.” Ask them how they think George initially felt when it was suggested that he volunteer at the hospital instead of coming to physical education for the next six weeks. How do they think George felt after his first day at the Home for Handicapped Children? What did he “uncover” after working at the Home for Handicapped Children?
Mention to students that it is often a good idea to try to be grateful for all circumstances. Often, we can learn a lot from them. Mention that, for instance, George might have felt inferior to his brother, Mark, and not want to sit out the six weeks of physical education on the bench, but if his accident had never happened, he might never have discovered his great gift of compassion.
Ask students to try to remember a time in their lives when a situation that they thought was really bad at first turned out to be good, and they ended up grateful for it.
Then ask them to reflect on a time in their lives when they showed compassion. Ask them to do the Reflection Exercise: “When I Showed Compassion.”
Using posters, photos, or pictures (from magazines and newspapers), look at the faces of people and discuss or write about what each person might be feeling. Begin with descriptive words (e.g., worried, excited, confused) and then expand on the possible reason for this feeling and what might be done to help a person who is showing distress.